Although he couldn't quite understand Lin Xuan's actions, Orochimaru ultimately cooperated, allowing Minato Namikaze to seal him up and send him over to Lin Xuan.
The reason he chose Minato was simple: Minato's sealing techniques were excellent—and more importantly, he was honest and reliable. He wouldn't double-cross him.
When Lin Xuan received Minato's message, he casually added, "By the way, Minato, you don't need to participate in this battle. Kushina just arrived there. Take her around and have some fun!"
Minato's face instantly lit up with excitement. "Really? Thank you so much, Chairman!"
Clearly, he'd been looking forward to this for a long time. He'd even planned out where to take Kushina, but unexpected events kept cropping up. He thought another war was about to erupt and that his plans would be postponed again—but Lin Xuan had just given him a surprise.
Seeing Minato so grateful, Lin Xuan was briefly taken aback. In truth, he hadn't meant to be thoughtful toward the couple. He simply thought it would be a waste to release Minato and Kushina from his Reanimation technique so soon after summoning them, so he'd made that suggestion. He hadn't expected it to cause such a beautiful misunderstanding.
Of course, Lin Xuan wasn't going to explain. He only cleared his throat and said, "No need to thank me—go enjoy yourselves!" Then he stopped paying attention to the group chat and turned his gaze to the world before him, curious about his surroundings.
He had seen the world of Naruto in anime before, but seeing it in reality was an entirely different experience.
His sudden appearance also caught the attention of the guards at Konoha's main gate.
After all, the way Lin Xuan appeared—stepping through a door of space out of thin air—was anything but ordinary.
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane instantly went on high alert, immediately sending an emergency signal to the Hokage building. But before Konoha's ANBU arrived, they were shocked to see Lin Xuan raise his hand and conjure someone from thin air.
They recognized the man immediately—Orochimaru.
Seeing this, Izumo and Kotetsu were stunned. What was happening? Some kind of space–time jutsu? Had this mysterious man captured Orochimaru?
But soon they realized something was off.
Because instead of looking angry, Orochimaru bowed respectfully to the mysterious young man and said, "Chairman."
Izumo and Kotetsu stared in disbelief. This was Orochimaru—the same man who'd once fought even the First Hokage without showing an ounce of deference. And yet he was showing such respect now?
Who on earth was this young man to warrant such treatment?
While they were still grappling with this thought, they saw Orochimaru summon a small snake and send it off on some errand. Then he stood with Lin Xuan at Konoha's gate, admiring the scenery.
From time to time Orochimaru even pointed out landmarks, acting like a tour guide showing a guest around.
Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged looks. This was beyond strange.
Luckily, before long, the current Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, arrived at the gate with the ANBU in person, sparing them from having to keep guessing.
But when Tsunade saw the scene before her, she was just as startled.
She came straight to the point. "Orochimaru, why are you suddenly back? And who is this?"
Orochimaru immediately replied, "Tsunade, let me introduce you. This is Chairman Lin."
"Chairman Lin?" Tsunade's brows knitted, but then her eyes widened as she realized who this must be.
"Yes," Orochimaru said before she could finish. "You must have already received the message. Chairman Lin has come personally to help us solve our problem."
Tsunade snapped out of her surprise, quickly composing herself. She bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your righteous support!"
Lin Xuan waved it off. "No need for thanks. I'm just passing through on a sightseeing trip. By the way, how's the situation now?"
Tsunade glanced around at the many curious ninjas and villagers watching them. With a sigh, she said, "This isn't the place to talk. Chairman Lin, please come with me to the Hokage's office."
"Of course," Lin Xuan agreed readily.
He was escorted into Konoha Village with the highest honors by Tsunade and Orochimaru.
Left behind were Izumo, Kotetsu, and a crowd of onlookers—villagers and passing shinobi alike—staring in astonishment. From Tsunade's reaction alone, it was clear this mysterious young man was no ordinary visitor, and curiosity about Lin Xuan spread like wildfire.
Just by showing his face at Konoha's gate, Lin Xuan had earned tens of thousands of reputation points—an unexpected bonus.
Judging by Tsunade's unhurried demeanor, Lin Xuan guessed the current situation wasn't as urgent as he'd imagined, so he saw no reason to rush.
In fact, when they passed by the famous Ichiraku Ramen shop, he couldn't resist stopping for a taste, forcing Tsunade to put off going straight to the Hokage building.
And so Lin Xuan, Orochimaru, and Tsunade sat down in Ichiraku Ramen together while the village bustled with speculation about the mysterious guest who had just descended upon Konoha.
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T/N:
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